The Appeal

Synopsis

THE SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER OF THE 2022 CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER ONE MURDER. FIFTEEN SUSPECTS. CAN YOU UNCOVER THE TRUTH? There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed... Throughout the amateur dramatics society's disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl's medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you? 'Agatha Christie for the 21st century' THE TIMES 'Witty, clever and completely addictive' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Gripping, ambitious and unusual' SOPHIE HANNAH

Summary

Chapter 1

In the first chapter of The Appeal, John Grisham introduces the main characters of the story: two Mississippi attorneys, Adam Hall and Grant Waise. Hall and Waise are lawyers at the firm Waise & Hall and specialize in environmental law. They are approached by an old client, an old man named Pepper Balkin, who wants to appeal a case which he lost against a powerful chemical company in the town of Bowmore, Mississippi. He has been accused of illegally dumping toxic waste on his property and needs their help to get his case heard in court. Hall and Waise agree to take on the case and try to appeal it.

Chapter 2

In the second chapter of The Appeal, a plan is formulated as to how to approach the chemical company that the old man is suing. Through a series of meetings and talks, the attorneys come up with a plan to use the power of the media to bring attention to the case. They team up with a local newspaper reporter to spread the word about their client’s plight.

Chapter 3

In the third chapter of The Appeal, the team launches a campaign to bring awareness to the situation. Grant Waise meets with a number of environmental activists to get them to join forces with the legal team. He makes an emotional plea to the jury members in court during an initial hearing on the case.

Chapter 4

In the fourth chapter of The Appeal, the focus shifts to the corporate offices of the chemical company. The legal team attempts to uncover any evidence that could help their client. To do this, Hall and Waise go undercover and use a fake name in order to gain access to the corporate offices. After some detective work, they manage to uncover some evidence of the company’s attempt to cover up their illegal dumping activities.

Chapter 5

In the fifth chapter of The Appeal, the main trial begins. The court proceedings are televised and become a media sensation. Hall and Waise put up a strong defense and use the media attention to their advantage. Eventually, the jury votes in favor of the old man, giving him a huge victory against a powerful entity.